Cain Velasquez: Former UFC champion sentenced to prison for 2022 shooting

The retired heavyweight athlete has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading no contest to attempted murder.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion Cain Velasquez has been sentenced to five years in prison for a shooting in 2022 when he chased after the man accused of molesting his son.

Velasquez was sentenced in Santa Clara County, California, on Monday after he pleaded no contest to attempted murder, felony assault and other related gun charges last August for what the District Attorney’s Office called a “vigilante shooting spree”. He will receive credit for time served.

On February 28, 2022, the two-time UFC heavyweight champion fired a gun multiple times at a truck carrying three people, including 46-year-old Harry Goularte, who is facing felony child molestation charges, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

His defence lawyer, Renee Hessling, called the result “bittersweet” as they had hoped to keep Velasquez out of prison.

“Throughout it all, Cain has shown courage and strength of character,” Hessling said in a statement. “He has taken responsibility for his actions and has been held accountable. The sentence handed down today reflects the complexities of the situation and acknowledges the man behind the headlines.”

Less than a week before the shooting, Goularte was arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a four-year-old at the daycare owned by his family. He was released without bail a few days later. Officials said he was released under house arrest and was on his way to retrieve an electronic monitoring bracelet when Velasquez attacked.

Velasquez shot at Goularte’s truck in a car chase that continued for 17.7km (11 miles), the District Attorney’s Office said. Goularte was uninjured but his stepfather, who was driving, was hit twice.

On his former teammate Kyle Kingsbury’s podcast, Velasquez said his handling of the situation was “not the way to do it”.

“We cannot put the law in our own hands,” Velasquez said. “I know what I did, and I know what I did was very dangerous to other people, you know? Not just to people involved, but innocent people. I understand what I did and I’m willing to do everything I have to, to pay that back.”

Velasquez also said it was important to have open and honest conversations with your kids about what kind of behaviour is acceptable and listen to what they say.

“One man’s decision to take the law into his own hands left an innocent man wounded and endangered schoolchildren, teachers, and many others in our community,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “If you want to do justice in Santa Clara County, please apply for a badge.”

Velasquez became the UFC heavyweight champion on October 23, 2010, when he defeated then-champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 121. The retired athlete’s last professional fight was against Francis Ngannou on February 18, 2019.